Apparatus or device for cutting and stamping telegrams and the like



March 28, 1944. H. c. STEVENS APPARATUS OR DEVICE FOR CUTTING AND STAMPING TELEGRAMS AND THE LIKE Filed Marh 20, 1941 AKW/9 57m/ava,

Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS OR DEVICE FOR CUTTING AND STAMPIN G TELEGRAMS AND THE LIKE l y Hayes C. Stevens, Library, Pa. Application March 20, 1941, Serial No. 384,392

. 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a cutting and stamping device, and particularly to an improved apparatus or device for cutting and stamping telegraph messages, such as telegrams and the like.

It is the general practice in offices or companies Where a relatively large volume of telegrams is received daily to provide teleprinter or 'I'eletype machines for receiving the messages. In such a machine the messages are typed as they are successively received at spaced apart intervals upon long strips of paper, which` usually pass from a reel into y and through the machine. Consequently, there is provided a continuous length of paper strip having a series of spaced apart messages typed thereon. This strip is then cut up so as to, separate the messages so that they can be delivered `to the addressee or person to Whom the message is to beA communicated, and it is desirable that each of the messages be stamped with the time and date of receipt.

. Heretofore, the continuous strip of messages was cut into individual messages or telegrams at the receiving machine and these individual messages or telegrams were then taken to a central point where they were stamped with the correct time and date. That is, it was one operation to cut the strip into individual messages and another operation to stamp the same. Thus, it will be seen that such practice of cutting and stamping the messages, particularly where a large volume of telegrams is received daily for transmittal, not only `consumed considerable time and involved considerable expense, but also was tedious and inconvenient. f

In the present invention, there is provided a means whereby the strip of messages is cut into individual messages or telegrams and stamped with the correct time and date in one operation, thereby eliminating the above named disadvantages and, at the same time, providing a more presentable telegram which is much neater in appearance.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved means or apparatus for cutting and stamping telegrams or other messages in one operation, whereby the telegrams or messages are out and simultaneously stamped with the correct time and date, or other data.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved means or apparatus for simultaneously cutting and stamping telegrams or otherA messages which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and, at the same time, one which is efficient and eliective in its use.

(iii

lOl-287) It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved means or apparatus for simultaneously cutting and stamping telegrams or other messages which is strong and rugged in its construction, and one which is safe in its use.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent during the course of the following specification and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown, for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing: 2

Figure l is a plan view of the improved cutting and stamping apparatus or device of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View thereof partly broken away to show one of the switches; and

Figure 3 is a section taken on line III--III of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved cutting and stamping apparatus or device of my invention consists of a base plate 2 upon which there is mounted a plurality of vertically extending post members 3, namely, four in the present instance, and there is securely arranged on top of the post members 3 a smoothsurfaced, plate-like member 4 for ,guiding` and supporting a continuous length strip of material such as a continuous strip of telegrams or messages, to be cut. The rear end of the plate-like member 4 is preferably downwardly and outwardly arcuated as at 5 and there is suitably arranged on the top side thereof and secured thereto preferably a pair of longitudinally extending guide members 6 spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the strip of telegrams and provided for guiding the same over the smooth, flat top surface of the plate-like member.

To one side of the plate-like member 4 adjacent the forward end of one of the guide members 6 there is mounted in any convenient manner a conventional type timing and dating clock I9 for the purpose of stamping the telegrams or messages with the correct time and date in a well known manner. There is incorporated with the timing and dating clock an electrical means or mechanism (not shown) for actuating or tripping the stamp thereof in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, and any discussion of the operation of such mechanism is deemed unnecessary as it constitutes no part of the present invention.

At the forward end of the plate-like member 4 there is arranged a cutting knife 'I for movement in a vertical plane and which is pivotally attached `at one end thereof as at 8, preferably to an angle bracket member 9, which is secured to the platelike member 4, preferably at a point directly opposite from the timing and dating clock I9. There is arranged on the outer end of the knife 1, opposite its pivotal connection, a handle portion I for actuating the same. On the extreme inner end of the knife beyond its pivotal connection, there is arranged a downwardly extending substantially L-shaped actuating member I2 which is adapted to cooperate with a switch iii mounted preferably on the lower side of the plate-like member 4 immediately thereabove. .The switch I3 consists preferably of a pair of spaced apart resilient contact members I4 and is adapted to control the tripping mechanism' of 4the clock I9 and to actuate the same when the Contact members I4 are brought into engagement with each other. Thus, it will be seen that the L-shaped actuating member is adapted to force the contact members I4 together so as to close the switch when the knife I is moved to its most downward position by means of the handle portion i6, thereby causing the tripping mechanism of the clock to actuate the stamp associated therewith.

There is suitably arranged preferably on the inner side of the knife I ontop oi the plate-like member 4 a plate-like guard member i5 having an upwardly extending stop portionil associated therewith for limiting the upward movement of the knife. At the outer end of the knife beyond the pivotal connection -8 there is arranged preferably a tension coil spring il which extends between the end of the knife and preferably one of the post members 3. It is the purpose of the coil spring I'I to maintain the knife 'I in its normal position with the upper. edge thereof against the stop portion IS and with the L-shaped actuating member I2 in a retracted position away from the lowermost contact member I4 and to automatically return the knife to such position after each cutting operation.

The improved cutting and stamping apparatus of my invention operates in the following manner. The electrically operated tripping mechanism of the clock is first connected to a suitable source of electrical power. The strip of telegrams or messages is then taken from theteleprinter or Teletype machine and one end of the strip is directed over the smooth, flat top surface cf the plate-like member 4 between the spaced apart guide members 6 into and through the jaws of the stamping clock in under the stamping mechanism thereof and in under the guard i and the knife 1. The strip of messages is then moved manually over the plate-like member 4 until a point between the messages is positioned directly in under the cutting edge of the knife l, or where it is desired to cut the rst message of the strip therefrom. The knife is then moved downwardly by the operator by means of the handle portion I0 about its pivoted connection 8, whereby the cutting edge of the knife cooperates with the edge of the plate-like member to cut the first telegram from the strip` At the same time, the L-shaped actuating member I2, carried by the knife, is moved upwardly against the lowermost contact member I4, moving the same upwardly upon further movement of the knife into contact with the uppermost contact member, thereby closing the switch and the circuit. `The closing of the switch actuates the tripping mechanism of the clock whereby the correct time and date are stamped upon the next succeeding message or telegram of the strip to be cut. That is to say, the next succeeding telegram of the strip is stamped while the first telegram, which has been previously stamped, is being cut from the strip.

Upon release of the handle portion Il] by the operator, the knife 'i is moved upwardly to its initial, or normal, position against the stop portion I6 by means of the coil spring I'I. At the same time, it will be seen that the L-shaped actuating member I2 is moved out of contact with the lowermost contact member I4, thereby permitting the lowermost contact member I4 to move out of contact with the uppermost contact member, due to the resiliency thereof, so as to open the switch and to break the circuit to the tripping mechanism. It will be understood that the above procedure is followed for cutting each successive telegram or message from the strip until the entire strip has been cut into individual telegrams or messages.

While the stamping clock is shown positioned so as to stamp the next successive telegram to be cut while it is still a part of the strip, it will be understood that the clock can be conveniently located so as to stamp the particular telegram being cut by mounting the same on the outer side of the knife l instead of the inner side thereof as shown in the present instance.

There is also provided preferably a switch I8 which is mounted on the under side of the device, preferably on the base plate 2 near the front of the device in parallel with the switch I3 which is also adapted to control the actuation of the tripping mechanism of the clock. It will be seen that the tripping mechanism of the clock can be actuated by means of the switch i8 when it is desired to stamp the first or last telegrams of the strip where no cutting is necessary.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided an arrangement whereby telegrams or messages arranged in a continuous strip are simultaneously cut therefrom and stamped with the correct time and date, so as to provide a series of telegrams or messages ready for delivery to their point of destination. It will also be seen that there is provided by the use of my device, telegrams or messages having straight and even edges and, at the same time, telegrams which are correctly stamped at substantially the instant they are received, thereby providing more presentable telegrams with the time of receipt stamped thereon, which is substantially accurate.

While I have shown and described one specic embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A device for cutting and time stamping telegrams and the like comprising a vfiat surfaced member over which a continuous length of material or strip of telegrams is adapted to pass, a knife arranged at one end of said at surfaced member having one end thereof pivotally mounted to one side of said member and arranged for movement in substantially a vertical plane, said knife adapted to cooperate with the edge of said dat surfaced member to out the strip or series of telegrams successively into a number of individual pieces or'telegrams, a, handle arranged on the end of said knife opposite that from its pivotal connection for manually operating the same, a vertically extending plate-like guard member arranged on the inner side of said knife directly next thereto, a stop member arranged above said knife for limiting the upward movement thereof, an electrically controlled time stamping clock arranged above said nat surfaced member adjacent said knife and directly next to the guard for stamping the strip with the correct time, a switch arranged opposite said knife for controlling the actuation of said time stamping clock, a spring connected to said knife for returning and maintaining the same normally in a raised position against said stop member so that the switch for controlling the time stamping clock is normally in an open position, and means carried by said knife for actuating said switch whereby said knife upon downward movement thereof against the action of said spring cuts the strip or severs the telegrams therefrom and closes simultaneously said switch thereby causing said time stamping clock to actuate so as to stamp that portion of the strip or telegram immediately in front of said knife with the correct time.

HAYES C. STEVENS. 

